The present invention generally relates to an image recording apparatus such as an inkjet printer, and in particular relates to an image recording apparatus having a platen capable of switching ink receiver arrangements, that may suitably be used in borderless printing with a recording medium being transported in a single-row or multiple-row arrangement.
In a case of an inkjet recording apparatus in which recording is performed by ejecting ink from a nozzle of a recording head while moving a carriage on which the recording head is mounted, back and forth, the carriage can be retracted from its recording position when pre-ejecting operation (or flushing) is performed to prevent the nozzle of the recording head from ink clogging.
In a case of an inkjet recording apparatus in which recording is performed by ejecting ink from a nozzle of a recording head while transporting the recording medium with the recording head being fixed, since it requires more space in the apparatus to retract the head from its recording position, an ink absorbing surface is provided on a platen that faces the head so that flushing can be performed against the ink absorbing surface, as described in JP 2003-341158A.
On the other hand, there has been a demand for capability of recording images up to full width of the recording medium to produce a so-called borderless print. In order to achieve such capability, the ink ejecting area of a recording head is required to be wider than the width of the recording medium. Therefore, when using a platen which is configured as described in JP 2003-341158A, in which a recording medium support surface is oriented toward the recording head, ink may be ejected outside the both edges of the recording medium, thus causing the platen to be stained by ink.
Moreover, it has been known that, as one option for increasing productivity, in various image recording apparatuses such as inkjet printers, a single apparatus is required to perform image recording onto a plurality of different width size recording media, or is required to transport multiple rows (multiple in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction) of the recording medium for image recording (drawing) or post treatment subsequent to the image recording. In the description, the direction perpendicular to the transport direction will be referred to as the width direction, and transporting multiple rows of recording medium will be referred to as the parallel transportation.